Life preserver



Get. 31, 1933. E. J. HARRIS 1,932,585

LIFE PRESERVER Filed Nov. 18, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor Exile Jf/arrzls a I By jlllorney Oct. 31, 1933. E, J. HARRIS 1,932,585

LIFE PRESERVER Filed Nov. 18. 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3 Invenlor l atented ot. 331 1933 ran STATES Application November 18, 1932 Serial No. 643,270

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in life preservers of the inflatable type and has for its primary object to provide, in amanner as hereinafter set forth, a device of this character which is adapted to be worn in a deflated condition around the body ready to be inflated when needed, as when a swimmer is approaching a state of exhaustion and desires to rest or suffers an attack of cramps.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a life preserver of the character described including inflating means, together with novel means for retaining and concealing said inflating means in retracted or inoperative position when same is not in use.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a life preserver of the character set forth which will be simple in construction, strong, durable, light in weight, compact, inconspicuous when deflated and which may be manufactured at low cost.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken iii-connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and whereinz-a I Figure l is a view in front elevation, showing a life preserver in accordance with the present invention in position but in a deflated condition.

Fig. 2 is a detail View in frontelevation of the buckle, showing said buckle in open position.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the buckle, showing said buckle closed position.

Fig. 4 is a view in front elevation showing the buckle in closed position, with the inflating tube extending therefrom and the belt inflated.

Fig. 5 is a View in horizontal section through the buckle, taken substantially on the line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a view in vertical section through the buckle, taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary View in vertical section through one end portion of the buckle.

Fig. 8 is a perspective View of the, end portion of the belt which is secured in the buckle, showing the connection of the inflating tube thereto.

Fig. 9 is a View in vertical section through the belt, taken substantially on the line 99 of Fig. 3, and showing said be t in deflated, folded condition.

Fig. 10 is a view in vertical transverse section through the belt after same has been unfolded.

Fig. 11 is a view in vertical transverse section through the belt after same has been inflated, taken substantially on the line 1111 of Fig. 4. Referring now to: the drawings in detail, it will be seen that the embodiment of the invention which has been illustrated comprises an inflatable belt which is designated by the reference numeral 1, said belt being of suitable elastic material, preferably rubber, and further being substantially flat in transverse section when deflated. The belt 1 is adapted to 'be folded longitudinally on itself when deflated, as seen in Fig. 9 of the drawings, and is closed at its ends. The belt 1 is adapted to encircle the body of the user and has its ends adjustably connected together through the medium of a buckle which is designated generally by the reference numeral 2.

The buckle 2 is of any suitable material, preferably rust-proof light metal or alloy, and comprises a casing 3 which is open at its front and at one end. The front of the casing 3 of the buckle 2 is adapted to be closed by a closure 4 which includes longitudinal side flanges 5 which engage the outer sides of the side walls of said casing 3 when the closure is in closed position. The closure 4 is pivotally mounted on the casing 3 adjacent the closed end of said casing, as at 6. The upper flange 5 has formed therein a notch or recess '7 which registers with a substantially similar notch or recess 3 in the upper wall of the casing 3 when the closure 4 is in closed position, and best seen in Figs. 2 and 3 of the darwings.

Extending longitudinally from the closed end of the casing 3 of the buckle 2 is a hook 9 in which a loop 10 is engaged, said loop 16 being retained in the hook by a spring latch 11. One end of the belt 1 has secured thereto a fabric strip 12 which is connected with the loop 10 for connecting said one end of the belt to the buckle 2. The other end portion of the belt 1 extends into the casing 3 through the open end thereof and is turned under and anchored between a rubber block13 and the inner wall of said casing 3 upon which the rubber block is mounted. Thus, the belt 1 extends across the front of the block 13.

The block 13 has formed in its outer face a vertical groove 14 which receives the belt 1. The belt 1 is pressed into the groove 14 of the block 13 by a rib or bar 15 which is mounted on the inner side of the free end portion of the closure 4. It may be well to here state that the belt 1, when deflated, is of a length greater than is necessary to encircle the body snugly. This excess length of the belt is folded in the buckle 2 when the belt is in a deflated condition, as seen in Fig. 5 of the drawings. Thus, when the closure 4 is closed, the buckle 2 constitutes means for releasably securing the belt snugly around the body. Channel members 16 are mounted in the casing 3 of the buckle 2 at the upper and lower ends of the rubber block 13, said members having openings 17 therein which accommodate hooks 18 which are mounted on the inner side of the free end portion of the closure 4. Latches 19 are slidably mounted. in the upper and lower walls of the casing 3 and are operatively engageable with the hooks 18 for releasably locking the closure 4 in closed position. Springs 20 are mounted on the members 16 and are engaged with the latches 19 for yieldingly urging said latches toward operative position. A spring 21 is mounted in the closed end of the casing 3 and engaged with the closure 4 for yieldingly urging said closure toward open position.

Reference numeral 22 designates an inflating tube which is connected to the end portion of the belt 1 which is anchored in the buckle 2. The inflating tube 22 is of sufficient length to reach to the mouth of the user of the life preserver and is adapted to be folded within the buckle 2, as illustrated to advantage in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

When it is desired to inflate the life preserver, the buckle 2 is opened by pressing inwardly on the latches 19 for releasing the closure 4 which is immediately swung to open position by the spring 21. The opening of the closure 4 releases that end portion of the belt 1 which is folded in the buckle 2 and which was retained by the rib or bar 15 in cooperation with the rubber block 13. Thus, the belt is made long enough to compensate for the decrease in internal diameter which takes place when said belt is inflated and, further, the belt will now unfold longitudinally. The tube 22 is removed and placed in the mouth for inflating the belt 1. After the belt has been inflated, the tube 22 is engaged in the notch or recess 8 of the casing 3 and the closure 4 is returned to closed position for pinching said tube 22 for preventing deflation of the belt. When released and inflated, the life preserver is of sufficient diameter to slip upwardly on the body of the swimmer and engage beneath the arms. That end portion of the belt 1 which is anchored in the buckle 2 is permanently stitched, as at 23, in folded position, as best seen in Fig. 8 of the drawings.

The notch or recess '7 in the upper flange 5 of the closure 4 receives the inflating tube 22 when said closure is swung to closed position after the belt has been inflated. In other words, the notches or recesses 7 and 8 form a restricted opening in the buckle 2 which accommodates the inflating tube 22 and in which said inflating tube is pinched in a manner to close same against the escape of air from the belt.

It is believed that the many advantages of a life preserver constructed in accordance with the present invention will be readily understood and although the preferred embodiment of the invention is as illustrated and described, it is to be understood that changes in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. A life preserver comprising an inflatable body encircling belt, a buckle connecting the ends 2. A life preserver comprising an inflatable body encircling belt, a buckle connecting the ends of the belt together, said buckle including a casing openrat its front and at one end, one end portion of the belt extending into the casing through the open end thereof and being anchored in said casing, a closure pivotally mounted on the front of the casing, a resilient block mounted in the casing and having a groove therein for the receptionof the belt, means on the closure for engaging the belt in the groove when said closure is in closed position for releasably securing a portion of the belt in the buckle, means for releasably securing the closure in closed position, and means for inflating the belt.

EIWILE JACKSON HARRIS. 

